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Diner Morning News: The Favre Saga

Michael Lombardi

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FROM MICHAEL LOMBARDI:

06 May 2009

QUOTE:  “Autonomy, complexity and a connection between effort and reward are the three qualities work has to have to be satisfying.”  – Malcolm Gladwell

FROM ED WERDER OF ESPN... Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress and quarterback Brett Favre plan to meet at an undisclosed location later this week to discuss the possibility of the former Packers and Jets quarterback renouncing his retirement from the NFL to play the 2009 season with the Vikings, according to a source with direct knowledge of discussions between the two parties. Favre has not been working out and declined to have surgery to repair the torn biceps tendon that plagued him the final month of last season. Favre may believe the injury can heal on its own as did a similar problem with his left shoulder while he played in Green Bay. A source close to Favre told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that how the injury heals will play a role in the quarterback's decision. The source also said that the quarterback's agent, Bus Cook, is researching unemployed NFL quarterback coaches to see if one can be hired to work with Favre in Mississippi while he ponders a possible return. There is a mutual understanding that sometime soon thereafter Favre will decide whether to sign with the Vikings. The team would expect him to participate fully in offseason mini-camps and training camps, which he missed last year with the Jets.

I was wrong Tuesday when I said May was the month that the wide receiver formerly known as Chad Johnson complains about his contract – it’s actually Brett Favre-return-to-football month.  This story will never go away. Ever.  

Someone once told me that the Ohio State-Michigan game in 2035 is already sold out, even though the kids who will play in the game aren’t born yet, because we root for the uniform, not the players. To a large degree, that’s true. But sometimes we find athletes we root for and create a unique bond with them, regardless of the uniform. Trust is a key element of any relationship, personal or professional.  When you announce your retirement, we take you at your word and accept the fact that, even though the urge may be to come back to play, the mind and the body will not allow you to return to the field. But when you say one thing and do another more than once, the trust factor becomes null and void, and all the good that has been done over the years wilts away. 

I love the HBO show “The Sopranos” and miss it every Sunday now that it’s no longer on the air.  I feel the writing is perfect and there are many lessons to be learned from the characters.  In season one, as Uncle Junior is planning the execution of his nephew Tony, he meets two of his men at a viewing of a deceased woman he grew up with in the neighborhood. As Uncle Junior stands at the open casket paying his respects, his two associates show up, clearly late. Uncle Junior tells them, “When you say you’re going to be somewhere, be somewhere.” When Brett Favre says he is going to retire, then retire. The more he lies to us -- or maybe in his mind he’s not lying, just changing his mind -- the respect and trust between fan and player begin to disappear. No one wants to hear about Favre coming back, in Minnesota or anywhere else.  However, there’s more to the story. 

Why the Vikings are interested in Favre and were not interested in Jay Cutler makes no sense at all. We heard reports that Vikings coaches did not like Cutler’s personality and had problems with his behavior off the field. To me, having been around Jay Cutler for a year in Denver, this was not an accurate portrayal. People I know very well who also know Cutler think this was a ridiculous assessment. Why would you want an aging quarterback who, at best, has one year left instead of a young, athletic quarterback who will be the face of the franchise for years to come? If I were working in Minnesota, my whole objective once the season ended would be to permanently fix the quarterback position. There’s a small window for winning in the NFL, and it gets larger when you’re established at quarterback. The consensus in the NFL is that if the Vikings ever get a legitimate QB, they’ll contend for the Super Bowl, not just the playoffs.  However, just as Charles Barkley complains that the Cleveland Cavs’ offense is the worst in the NBA with a great player, most of the NFL knows that the Vikings’ offense is called “Day One Install” of the west coast -- very, very basic. 

The Vikings made a move and traded for Houston Texans back-up quarterback Sage Rosenfels. On the surface, Rosenfels seems to fit the Vikings’ west coast system, but he also turns the ball over at an alarming rate. In the 15 games he played in over the past two years, he threw 22 interceptions – but what’s more concerning is that he tends to lose the ball, fumbling eight times. Clearly, he’s not a fixture for the long-term future. Even the Vikings felt this way when they signed him to a modest three-year deal at a slight increase of the back-up quarterback market. So have they fully addressed their most pressing need? I doubt that Rosenfels will be the answer, which begs the question again, why not Cutler? 

If I were Zygi Wilf, the owner of the Vikings, I would ask a few fundamental questions of my head coach, Brad Childress, who was hired because he was supposed to be a passing game guru. 

  1. Would the signing of Favre help our passing game, especially when teams blitz us?  We finished last in the NFL last season in pass offense when teams attacked our pocket. 
  2. Would the signing of Favre help our red zone offense, which finished 28th in scoring last year? 
  3. Would the signing of Favre help us protect the ball and prevent us from ranking 27th in giveaways by the offense? 
  4. Would the signing of Favre help us cut down on sacks and improve our margin of victory? 

If Childress can show that signing Favre would help in all these areas, then there’s no choice but to go ahead and make the deal. I’m not sure he can, but that’s what Childress has to be certain about before he meets with Favre -- or else he might lose his team. 

It’s May, and it’s Favre time. But I would rather watch Uncle Junior. 

Comments

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Koition
May 06, 2009
10:31 AM

Cutler, growing up near Chicago and being a Bears fan, was probably going to go to the Bears in any case (if the option was open).

The Vikings probably asked about Cutler, and Cook said, "He's not interested... but, I DO have this other guy...".

KJF
May 06, 2009
10:43 AM

@Adam I don't think its that people just want him to just SAYING he will retire.

Adam NYC
May 06, 2009
10:44 AM

don't buy into the reverse hype -

they guy is an athlete. He wants to compete. Who cares that everyone wants to write his story that fades into the sunset. Life isn't a storybook. He is entitled to do whatever he wants. Same as all of us. Can you really imagine if you did the thing you love and then everyone decided that it was time for you to go? And you thought... ok, I'll go. And then you changed your mind. Good for you. GOOD!

Green Bay didn't want him. Why should he not be able to play wherever he wants? Its America. The The NFL TRUST is a ridiculous and unique corporate structure. No where else, except the military, can they impose such job restrictions.

I hope he plays for six more teams.

GC in DC
May 06, 2009
10:45 AM

There needs to be some kind of national intervention to end this. Maybe put Favre on Oprah, surround him with former teammates and coaches -- throw Steve Mariucci and Mike Holmgren in, and probably need Dr. Phil as well. Go from person to person, each one ending with, "And now, Brett, it's time to move on."

Or President Obama could help -- call Favre to Washington to make him head of the Physical Fitness Council (or somesuch group), bring him out to the press room for the announcement, then slip in that "Of course, this is a serious job with a deep time commitment, so I'm flattered that Brett has agreed to permanently retire from the NFL so he can give America's youth the same 24/7 commitment he gave the Packers and Jets." Favre would be stunned, but you don't contradict the President of the United States in front of the White House press corps. Then the NFL follows up with a week's worth of praise, hooplah, and remembrances of Favre's career from teammates and opponents.

Just... Please, Lord... end this....

dan
May 06, 2009
10:49 AM

...unless the Favre to Minny scenario was already being anticipated... I think Favre decided that he wanted to play for the Vikings three years ago, when Thompson decided not to trade for Randy Moss.

johnny c
May 06, 2009
10:49 AM

Hey Mike and all the other Favre haters - why do you all seem to care so much about what Brett does? So what he wants to continue playing football. So what he wants to play for the Vikings so he can play against the Packers. So what? As Eric from Manitowoc rightly pointed out - football at this level is purely for entertainment purposes and whether someone is a Favre fan or not he is an entertaining player to watch - maybe the most entertaining of his generation. The sports media types - and Mike has become a sports media type by virtue of his NFP job now - can be such hypocrites. The sports media built Brett Favre up over so many years and now you are like piranhas to blood in the water because you think Brett should exit stage left according to your standards. Doesn't Brett get to make his own decisions like the rest of us? You all really ought to look in the mirror before you are so quick to judge one of athletes which legitimized your financial livelihood for so long. In many's opinion, members in the sports media are all just as pathetic as you are making Brett out to be. I personally wish Brett and any athlete who has given their lives to their respective games all the best and the sports media might consider doing the same.

Bart15
May 06, 2009
10:53 AM

Brett Favre is a turd.

Bart15
May 06, 2009
10:55 AM

Elway won 2 Supes with lousy wideouts. He rode running game to those titles ... Had something like 100 yards passing in win over GB ....

Koition
May 06, 2009
10:55 AM

Adam - You have a good point... this is a free country and he can play if he wants to. However, it's just not that easy and you seem to be missing (or disregarding) some details.

Brett was NOT thrown to the curb by the Packers. He retired in a tearful conference and told the Packers and thier fans he just couldn't do it again. The Packers had to move on. When Brett tried to come back, they did welcome him, only to change his mind and stay retired. When he wanted to come back for a second time, they said it was too late (but did give him the option to compete for the job). Of course they didn't want to tick of the future of thier franchise in Aaron since his contract was up the very next season. If Brett comes back (for what may have been one year at the time), they lose him.

As a Packer of 16 years, Brett is well aware of the hatred between Viking and Packer fans. It is now overtaken the Bear/Packer rivalry for many fans. If he wants to play, great... there are 30 OTHER teams to choose from. Go proove you can still play with one of them. By going to MN, he is letting his hate for one person (TT) become bigger than his care for the MILLIONS of fans who laughed, cried, and cheered with him for 16 years. That, is careless and classless.

Eric from Manitowoc, WI
May 06, 2009
10:55 AM

Yes, Favre never really had a lot of talent at WR over the years. It's why the comparison with Elway always made sense in the way that the comparison with Marino, Montana, and Manning never made/make sense.

Sharpe was great. A bona-fide stud. Played Favre's first 3 seasons.

Freeman and Brooks were average or worse WRs. Brooks was an average #2 and Freeman was a slot/#3 who had to play flanker because we had no one else. He made his rep on Favre's arm. Packers fans know this.

Driver was fine. The number one target for the end of the Favre years. But he was never a top 15 WR in the league. Favre made him, too.

Jennings will be very good. But Favre enjoyed one year of Jennings while Jennings was realizing his talent, and Jennings wasn't the primary guy that season due to his slow understanding of GB's option routes.

What TEs? Chmura and Franks got their catches b/c of Brett. These weren't guys like Gonzales, Gates, or even Brent Jones, guys who the defenses were scared of.

Like Manning in Indy, Favre made his line better. (Marino did this as well). I love Tausch. But I know he'd tell you Favre made them better - that's what he told me. Favre called the line assignments. Very few QBs do this. Plus, there aren't many better at getting the ball off before a sack, so those numbers were always "de-flated" due to the Favre factor.

As for RBs... Ahman was good. That kid could play. But, again, isnt' that the 3-time MVP opening holes for the runner? Levens was average. Bennet, average. Those guys were made by Brett. Again, they'll tell you the same.

dan
May 06, 2009
11:01 AM

Eric from Manitowoc,
Favre's a Viking now. You can stop being his apologist.

The weird thing is, a couple years ago, I might've listened to garbage like that. I would still have recognized that it was garbage, but I would've listened. Now? It's amazing how fast Favre pulled down what it took him 16 years to build.

Shannon J
May 06, 2009
11:05 AM

Just crap writing! Are you trying to be Mickey Spillane? Calling Brett Favre a liar because he changed his mind to play football. You have no idea what the hell you’re talking about just like all the rest of us. Standing in judgment of Favre and calling him a liar is a joke...like your story!

Brett had a bad year but still wasn't the worst in the NFL. Maybe the guy just wants to play football and end his career on his terms, which he couldn’t do last year because the fudge packers sent him to the jets and not the team he wanted to play for. So I would have retired as well and so would most. But within months a loophole opened up for you to go to the team you wanted and play it out he may take it. Good for you Brett and for as smart as your fans think you are in this article you came off like average bar sports putz! You're not Zygi Wilf...You're a hack blog reporter!

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